All off-street parking spaces required to serve buildings or a use erected or established shall be located on the same lot as the building or use served, except that where an increase in the number of spaces is required by a change or enlargement of a nonresidential use or where spaces are provided collectively or used jointly by two or more buildings or establishments, the required spaces may be located and maintained as set forth in §§ 297-339, 297-340 and 297-341.

The County recognizes that the Table of Off-Street Parking Requirements set forth in Subsection D cannot and does not cover every possible situation that may arise. Therefore, in cases not specifically covered, the Zoning Officer is authorized to determine the parking requirements using this table as a guide.

If a column or other obstruction is adjacent to a parking space and
would interfere with car door openings, then the minimum stall width
of that space shall be increased by one foot. The inner face of the
column or other obstruction shall form the actual boundary of the
space when measuring the width or length of the spaces.

Each standard-size angled parking space shall be a parallelogram having minimum dimensions in accordance with the table contained in Subsection A above. An angled parking space is one in which the acute angle formed by the intersection of the long side of the space and the curb is between 45° and 75°. The width of an angled parking space is measured parallel to the curb or travel lane along the short side of the parallelogram, and the length of the space is measured along the side of the parallelogram from the curb to the travel lane.

Each small-car automobile parking space shall have minimum dimensions in accordance with the table contained in Subsection A above. Small-car spaces may be provided for up to 10% of all required spaces for nonresidential uses. Small-car space shall be limited to parallel or perpendicular parking angles.

Excluding curb offset, driveways shall be not less than 10 feet nor
exceed 12 feet in width for one-way traffic and not less than 18 feet
nor exceed 24 feet in width for two-way traffic, except that ten-foot-wide
driveways are permissible for two-way traffic when:

Driveways through Resource Protection Zone (RPZ), wetland or other
conservation areas should be designed as narrow and as close to grade
as feasible, with minimal or no shoulder or curbing, and with canopy
closure to allow for continuous wildlife migratory corridor. Protective
bollards and signage shall be provided to alert drivers to the wildlife
crossing area. Stormwater runoff shall be treated prior to entering
the conservation area.

No structure shall be erected, substantially altered or its use changed
unless permanent off-street parking and loading spaces have been provided
and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this section.

Parking and loading requirements based on floor area shall be determined
by the total gross floor areas of the use, excluding incidental storage
and mechanical areas. "Incidental storage" is storage that is subordinate
and nonessential to the main use.

Parking and loading requirements per seat shall be determined by
the number of individual seats, except as otherwise required. For
purposes of bench-type seating, 20 inches shall be the equivalent
of one seat.

Parking requirements may be provided in attached or detached garages,
in off-street parking lots or on parking pads on the lots. No more
than 75% of the total number of garage spaces provided for single-family
attached or multifamily dwellings units may be counted towards the
minimum requirements of Figure XX-1.[1] On residential lots, each required parking space shall
have direct and unobstructed access to a road.

Unless no other practicable alternative is available, parking areas
shall be designed so that, without resorting to extraordinary movements,
vehicles may exit such areas without backing onto a public street.
This requirement does not apply to parking areas consisting of driveways
along a local street that serve one or two dwelling units.

Access must be provided and shall be designed so that sanitation,
emergency and other public service vehicles can serve such developments
without the necessity of backing unreasonable distances or making
other dangerous or hazardous turning movements.

Every parking area shall be designed so that vehicles cannot extend
beyond the perimeter of such area onto adjacent properties or public
rights-of-way. Such areas shall also be designed so that vehicles
do not extend over sidewalks or tend to bump against or damage any
wall, vegetation or other obstruction.

Permanent stormwater retention shall be provided for all off-street
parking areas as required in the County's Stormwater Management
Ordinance.[2] Bioretention areas are encouraged and shall be considered
to meet landscaping requirements. If a stormwater management pond
is proposed, it shall be integrated into the overall development and
serve as a visual amenity to the site.

Stormwater management facilities, such as ponds and bioretention
areas, are permitted within building setbacks, provided that they
are designed as attractive, landscaped amenities. Designs that rely
on chain link fencing to ensure safety, rather than sloop contouring
and vegetation, are not permitted within setbacks.

If structured parking is entirely underground, the applicant shall
be relieved from providing the required off-street parking landscaping
and can locate the underground structure within any part of the setback
and yard areas.

The Board of Appeals may authorize a variance to reduce the number of parking spaces required, if the requirements of § 297-412 are satisfied. In no case shall the Board grant a variance of more than 10% of the number of required parking spaces.

Parking areas that include lanes for drive-in windows or contain
parking areas that are required to have more than 10 parking spaces
and that are used regularly at least five days per week shall be graded
and surfaced with asphalt, porous asphalt, concrete, porous concrete,
brick or concrete pavers, or other suitable material that will provide
equivalent protection against potholes, erosion and dust.

Parking areas that are not provided with the type of surface specified in Subsection A shall be graded and surfaced with crushed stone, gravel, structural grass pavers, concrete honeycomb pavers, or other suitable material to provide a surface that is stable and will help to reduce dust and erosion. The perimeter of such parking areas shall be defined by bricks, stones, railroad ties or other similar devices. In addition, whenever such a parking area abuts a paved street, the driveway leading from such street to such area (or, if there is no driveway, the portion of the parking areas that opens onto such streets) shall be paved as provided in Subsection A for a distance of 15 feet back from the edge of the paved street. This subsection shall not apply to single-family or two-family residences that are required to have only one or two parking spaces.

Parking spaces in areas surfaced in accordance with Subsection A shall be appropriately demarcated with painted lines or other markings. Parking spaces in areas surfaced in accordance with Subsection B shall be demarcated whenever practicable.

Parking areas shall be properly maintained in all respects. Parking
area surfaces shall be kept in good condition and functioning properly
in the case of porous paving (free from potholes, cleaned regularly,
etc.), and parking space lines or markings shall be kept clearly visible
and distinct.

Where a parking area provides spaces collectively for several uses located on the same or different parcels, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements for the various uses computed separately; and the required space for one use may not be credited to another use except as provided in Subsection B.

Parking Occupancy Rate Table: When any land and/or buildings
are contiguous to one another and are used for two or more purposes,
the number of parking spaces shall be computed by multiplying the
minimum required parking spaces by the appropriate percentage as shown
on the following parking chart[1] for each time period shown. Then the resulting total number
of spaces required for each use during each time period is totaled.
The time period that generates the highest number of parking spaces
becomes the parking requirement for the shared parking.

Local parking study. A parking demand analysis, prepared by
a qualified parking or traffic consultant, may be used to show the
feasibility of shared parking. The analysis shall determine parking
occupancy rates of morning, afternoon and evening peaks on the seven
different days of the week. In the case of new construction or addition
of new uses, the surveys shall observe another circumstance with similar
mixed uses. A combination of similar circumstances may be necessary
to cover all the proposed land uses. The approximate square footages
of the various land uses of the specimen projects shall be compared
to the proposed project to allow the ratios of uses to be rated accordingly.
In the case of an enlargement or substitution of existing uses, the
survey shall document the occupancy rates of the existing parking
facility.

If the number of off-street parking spaces required by this chapter
cannot reasonably be provided on the same lot where the principal
use associated with these parking spaces is located, then spaces may
be provided on adjacent or nearby lots in accordance with the provisions
of this section. These off-site spaces are referred to in this section
as "satellite parking spaces."

All such satellite parking spaces (except spaces intended for employee
use) must be located within 400 feet of a public entrance of a principal
building housing the use associated with such parking or within 400
feet of the lot on which the use associated with such parking is located
if the use is not housed within any principal building. Satellite
parking spaces intended for employee use may be located within any
reasonable distance. No more than 25% of the total required spaces
are to be located in satellite parking spaces.

The applicant wishing to take advantage of the provisions of this
section must present satisfactory written evidence of the permission
of the owner or other person in charge of the satellite parking spaces
to use such spaces. The applicant must also sign an acknowledgement
that the continuing validity of the permit depends upon continuing
ability to provide the requisite number of parking spaces.

Satellite parking spaces shall be used solely for the parking of
passenger automobiles. No commercial repair work or service of any
kind shall be conducted, and no charge shall be made for parking.
No sign of any kind, other than designating ownership, entrances,
exits and conditions of use, shall be maintained on such satellite
parking areas.

Any increase in the intensity of use of any structure shall mean
the addition of dwelling units, employees, gross floor area, seating
capacity or any other unit of measurement used as a basis for determining
required parking facilities. When the intensity of use of any structure
or site is increased by less than 20%, parking facilities shall be
provided for the increase, but not for any existing deficiency in
such facilities. When the intensity is increased by more than 20%,
including consecutive increases from the date of this chapter, parking
facilities shall be provided for the entire structure or premises.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, whenever there exists a lot with one or more structures on it constructed before the effective date of this chapter, a change in use that does not involve any enlargement of a structure is proposed for such lot and the parking requirements of § 297-335 that would be applicable as a result of the proposed change cannot be satisfied on such lot because there is not sufficient area available on the lot that can practicably be used for parking, then the applicant need only comply with the requirements of § 297-335 to the extent that the parking space is practicably available on the lot where the development is located and satellite parking space is reasonably available as provided in § 297-341. However, if satellite parking subsequently becomes reasonably available, then it shall be a continuing condition of the permit authorizing development on such lot that the applicant obtain satellite parking when it does become available.

Subject to Subsection E, whenever the normal operation of any development requires that goods, merchandise or equipment be routinely delivered to or shipped from that development, an off-street loading and unloading area must be provided in accordance with this section to accommodate the delivery or shipment operations in a safe and convenient manner.

Loading and unloading areas shall be so located and designed so that
the vehicles intended to use them can maneuver safely and conveniently
to and from a public right-of-way and complete the loading and unloading
operations without obstructing or interfering with any public right-of-way
or any parking space or parking lot aisle.

No area allocated to loading and unloading facilities may be used
to satisfy the area requirements for off-street parking, nor shall
any portion of any off-street parking area be used to satisfy the
area requirements for loading and unloading facilities.

No such space shall be located closer than 50 feet to any other lot
in any residential zone unless wholly within a completely enclosed
building or unless enclosed on all sides by a wall or uniformly painted
board fence not less than six feet in height.

General. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped shall be designed
and located in accordance with ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act),
standards for accessible design and/or the Maryland Accessibility
Code, as applicable. These parking spaces shall be located so that
the physically handicapped are not forced to wheel or walk across
main traffic lanes or behind parked cars to reach the ramps and other
facilities. The spaces shall be situated in those areas of the parking
lots located nearest to each primary building entrances.

Required number of spaces. The number of parking spaces reserved
for the physically handicapped shall be in accordance with ADA standards
for accessible design and/or the Maryland Accessibility Code, as applicable.

Identification. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped shall
be identified by signs in accordance with the Maryland Accessibility
Code. The international handicapped symbol shall be marked on the
pavement for those spaces provided for the handicapped.

Where a curb exists between a parking lot and a sidewalk, a
horizontally scored curb ramp shall be provided for wheelchair access
in accordance with ADA standards for accessible design and/or the
Maryland Accessibility Code, as applicable.

Curb ramps shall be provided within 30 feet of each accessible
entrance to the structure, at all pedestrian walk intersections and
elsewhere to provide direct circulation within each development where
a curb ramp is provided at an intersection quadrant. Curb ramps shall
be provided at the opposite quadrants along the involved crosswalks.

Grade. The grade of parking spaces for the physically handicapped
shall be in accordance with ADA standards for accessible design and/or
Maryland Accessibility Code, as applicable. The grade for the parking
facility shall provide positive drainage.